One of the most challenging aspects of becoming a Christian, and then living a dedicated Christian life, is being willing to completely turn your life over to God. Total surrender! Such a concept is rather foreign to the typical philosophy of our culture. We're told to take control of our own lives, take charge, take the bull by the horns and make things happen. To an extent, such a philosophy is good. However, when we understand what should be the real purpose and focus of life, we will also understand that we cannot, by ourselves, maintain absolute control. We must trust God with our lives if we hope to gain the most in our lives.

There are a lot of things going on in the world that naturally cause concern: wars, political upheaval, poverty, starvation, disease. There are also natural disasters: hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, blizzards, drought, famine. Then, there’s always all kinds of social problems: crime, poverty, homelessness, out of wedlock births, break down of the family, abortion, aids, poor education.

Supposedly, most accidents occur either in, or relatively near, home. That’s rather intriguing, since most people feel safer at home than almost anywhere. The truth is, no matter how much attention is given to safety, wherever one might be, there’s no way to completely avoid all potential danger in this life. When every possible safeguard is taken, any number of possible dangers still exists. There’s always the unforeseen. That’s why people buy all kinds of insurance policies.

Does doctrine matter? Many people would say, basically, that doctrine does not matter. Really? The word doctrine simply means teaching. Does teaching matter? Consider what the scriptures say on the subject.